Dust-collecting valve mechanism for palyer pianos



Aug. 9, 1927. 1,638,420

C. F. STODDARD DUST COLLECTING VALVE MECHANISM FOR PLAYER PIANOS Filed June 1, 1923 gn wm to: Char/es f d/oaa ard Patented Aug. 9, 1927. i i 1,638,420-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. STODDARD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN PIANO COM- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY. i

, DUST-COLLECTING VALVE MECHANISM FOR PLAYER PIANOS.

Application filed June 1, 1923. Serial No. 642,747. i

This invention relates to automatic mu- Beneath the block 1 is a third block 9 sical instruments, and pertains more parwhich-is provided with a diaphragm chamticularly to an improved pneumatic conber 10, one side of which is closed by the struction for valve mechanisms. diaphragm 11. The other side of the valve It has been found, in the operation of auchamber may be closed by the plate 12 tomatic instruments of the pneumatic type, which may be fastened to the block 9 by that the action of valve mechanisms for conany suitable means such as the screws 13, trolling actuating pneumatics is often serifor instance. 1 I ously impaired by the admission of dust-par- An inlet opening 16 is provided to the diaticles thereto which clog various passages phragm chamber 10 and is arranged tanand openings and thus reduce their effective gentially thereto, as shown. This opening size. Difiiculty is experienced particularly is connected with a tracker bar 17 in the in this respect in the bleed openings, which usual manner by the tube 17 The diabecause of their restricted size are particuphragm chamber 10 is also provided with 65 larly susceptible to this trouble. n Opening 18 connected with the passage One of the objects of this invention is to 19 and which is connected with the exhaust provide a device which will serve to sepa chamber 2 by a suitable bleed opening 20. rate dust particles drawn into the valve The opening 18 is arranged approximately mechanism from the air admitted and colin the center of the diaphragm chamber 10. 70

20 lect them in order to prevent clogging of In the lower part of the diaphragm chambleed openings and other parts of the mechber 10 andarranged below the openings 16 anism and 18 are the crossed baffle plates 21, the

The accompanying drawings show a valve number of which may vary, two being shown structure constituting a preferred embodihere asa convenient number.

ment of the invention selected for purposes The operation of thevalve mechanism is of illustration, in which, Figure 1 is a sec- Similar to other old and common mechational view of the valve mechanism showing nisms. hen the exhaust chamber 2 is sub diagrammatically an actuating pneumatic Jected to exhaust, the chamber 10 will also connected thereto; and be subjected to exhaust through the bleed 8o 3 Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line opening 20. The valve 7 therefore will re 2-2 of Figure 1. main seated over port 6 due to its own Referring to the drawings, the block 1 is welght, since the pressures on opposite sides provided with an exhaust chamber 2 which of the diaphragm are equalized through the may be connected to suitable source of exbleed 2-0. hen, however, atmospheric air 85 ha-ust in the usual manner not here tie is admitted to the diaphragm chamber 10 scribed. Above the block 1 is block 3 which through the tracker tube 17 this balance is is provided with a valve chamber 4 which destroyed because atmospheric air is admit is normally connected to atmosphere ted faster than it can be withdrawn through through the port 5 This chamber may, the bleed opening. Valv 7 ill bg i d, on

however, be connected to the exhaust chamtherefore, cutting off communication beher 2 through the port 6. Communication tween valve chamber 4 and atmosphere, and between the valve chamber 4 and either atopening communication to the exhaust mosphere or exhaust is controlled by the chamber 2. Pneumatic 14 or other suitable valve 7 operatively connected with the stem pneumatic means will therefore be collapsed 95 8. Leading from the valve chamber 4; is the in the usual manner.

passage 15 to which may be connected any In the present device, however, the tan-- suitable pneumatic means'which it is de-- gential position of the opening 16 with re sired to operate as, for instance, the pneuspect to the chamber 10 will impart a rotary matic 14:, to which may be connected a motion to the airadmitted from the tracker ion striker mechanism or an expression valve causing a swirling action thereof within the mechanism. upper part of the chamber. The air in the lower part of the chamber, however, will be kept substantially quiet by the bafile plates 21. As particles of dust or other foreign matter are drawn into the chamber 10 through the openin swirling motion of t e air will cause it to pass over some distance before it is withdrawn through the opening 18. Particles of dust, therefore, ill drop from the swirling air into the comparatively still air between the batile plates 21 and will be retained there. It will also be noted that the of the diaphragm chamber, thus serving an additional separating function, since air is withdrawn from approximately the center of the chamber in which there would be a minimum of dust. The dust collected in this manner may be easily removed at suitable intervals by removal of the plate 12.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise embodiment herein shown and described, as for instance, the valve mechanism may form a unitary structure as shown, or it may form simply a single mechanism of a bank of valve mechanisms as is common in the art. On the contrary, the invention is capable of various modifications within the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a layer piano, the combination with a tracker liar, tracker duct, and valve operated thereby, of a chamber interposed between said tracker bar and valve; means for admitting air thereto and. imparting'to the air thus admitted a circuitous motion in part of said chamber only.

2. In a player piano, the combination with a tracker bar, tracker duct, and ValWP. operated thereby, of a chamber interposed be tween said tracker barand valve; an opening for admitting air thereto arranged at one side of the chamber to impart to the air thus admitted a circuitous motion; and means in said chamber for opposing said twisting motion in part of said chamber.

3. In a player piano, the combination with a tracker bar, tracker duct, and valve operated thereby, of a chamber interposed between said tracker bar and valve; an opening for admitting air thereto and imparting to the air thus admitted a circuitous motion; and anoutlet opening through which air may be withdrawn from said chamber, said outlet opening being located near the center of said chamber.

4. A pneumatic construction for player pianos, comprising, in combinatiom'a' substantially cylindrical diaphragm chamber; an inlet passagethereto arranged substantially'tangentially to said chamber; an out let opening therefrom substantially in the 16, this rotary or with a tracker bar, tracker duct, and valve operated thereby, of a chamber interposed between said tracker bar and valve; an inlet opening through which air is admitted 10 said chamber; an outlet opening'through which air is exhausted fromsaid chamber;

and means in said chamber for opposing motion of the air in a' portion of said chamrotary motion of the air will imparta centrifugal force on the dust particles tending =1, to throw them toward the outside periphery ber.

6. In a player piano, the combination with a tracker bar, tracker duct and valve operated thereby, of a chamber interposed between said tracker bar and valve and having inlet and outlet ports constructed and arranged at one side and substantially at the center of the chamber respectively to cause the air to travel an extended path within said chamber, whereby dust particles or other foreign matter may be collected in said chamber.

.7. A pneumatic construction for player pianos, comprising, in combination, a substantially cylindrical diaphragm chamber, an inlet passage thereto substantially tangential to the periphery of'said chamber, and an outlet opening therefrom substantially in the center of said chamber.

' 8. In a player piano, the combination with a tracker bar, tracker'duct and valve operated thereby, of a chamber interposed between said tracker bar and valve; means for admitting air to said chamber arranged to impart a centrifugal force to particles of foreign matter suspended therein tending to throw them to the outside of said chamber, and means for'withdrawing air from the center of said chamber.

9. In a pneumatic valve mechanism, a diaphragm chamber, means for admitting air to the upper part thereof, restricted means for withdrawing air from the upper part thereof, and means in the lower part of said chamber for maintaining the air in substantially quiet condition.

10. In a player piano, the combination with a tracker bar, tracker duct, and valve operated thereby, of a chamber interposed between said tracker bar and valve; an outlet port from said chamber; and means for admitting air to said chamber and causing it to travel an extended path to said outlet port.

11. A pneumatic construction for player pianos having a tracker bar, tracker duct and valve operated thereby, comprising, in combination, a substantially cylindrical chamber interposed between said tracker bar and valve; an inlet passage thereto; an outlet opening therefrom; said inlet passage being arranged substantially tangentially to said chamber whereby air admitted is caused to travel a circuitouspath.

12. In a player piano, the combination lower part of said chamber for opposing with a tracker bar, tracker duct, and valve motion of the air therein. operated thereby, of a chamber interposed In testimony whereof, I have signed my 10 between said tracker bar and valve; inlet name to this specification this 24th day of and outlet passages in the upper part of May, 1923. said chamber; said inlet passage being connected to the tracker bar; and means in the CHARLES F. STODDARD. 

